MidCoast Internet Solutions has completed the installation of the backbone network needed to provide high speed Internet service to the town of Jefferson. The ConnectME Authority awarded a grant to the town of Jefferson and MidCoast Internet Solutions earlier this summer for the construction of a wireless Internet network to serve Jefferson.
On Sept. 15 the town voted 193 to 5 in favor of having the selectmen sign a lease with MIS allowing them to erect a tower on Haskell Hill adjacent to the US Cellular tower. That tower was up and operational by Sept. 23.
Since then, MidCoast has been taking signal strength measurements around town and has turned up a small number of customers on the new service. As a result of the measurements they have taken, they have installed repeaters on a private tower on Rt 215 north of Clary Lake, on the east side of Damariscotta Lake and in the Trask Meeting House on Rt 215 in South Jefferson.
These repeaters should reach many customers who did not have good signal readings from Haskell Hill itself. This constitutes the backbone network that was proposed to and partially funded by ConnectME.
MidCoast completed the installation of their backbone network well ahead of the committed date of Dec. 17. MidCoast has stated that they plan to add more repeaters if dead zones with sufficient customers are identified and that they plan to install a redundant/backup connection to their tower located in Nobleboro to minimize the likelihood of service interruptions if there is a problem with the primary link from Jefferson to Rockland.
MidCoast is currently installing service for customers in the order in which they receive signed paperwork. If one is interested in this service, call MidCoast on 594-8277 at their office in Rockland.
